


Feathers

by yukisadah



Category: Ice Scream
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-28
Updated: 2014-10-02
Packaged: 2018-02-15 03:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2214078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yukisadah/pseuds/yukisadah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One-shots and two-shots of stories for one of Mogeko's under-appreciated series- Ice Scream. Genre various from friendship to tragedy and everything in between. Most stories will be focused on Yukisada, but other characters will definitely play large roles. Archive Warnings do not necessarily apply for every single chapter. There will be some light-hearted and some tragic ones.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Day Out

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter Summary: Yukisada has to go out shopping in the human world, and Shirogane decides to go with him. It was inevitable that Shirogane would somehow get lost. 
> 
> Enjoy.

This morning was just like any other morning on Iceberg Isle. Peraco sat inside her home, watching documentaries about this and that while her brothers slept nearby, Mafuyu and Rocma played with balls of yarn, Idate sulked around, Rock slept on his coach, and Suno sat smiling as he spoke about harassing Shirogane. Yes, just like any other morning. Minus, of course, the Yukisada household. Normally, Shirogane would be crying over something or other and his loyal companion and best friend, Yukisada, would be attempting to cheer him up in some way. Today was not normal for the Yukisada household.

Inside of the home, Yukisada sat at his desk, a small frown marring his usually cheerful face. Keeping mind to remain quiet, Shirogane was just getting up from his sleep upstairs, the owl scanned the list before him again. Unfortunately, it was that time of year again. Although he did not necessarily dislike this time of year, the golden-eyed boy knew he had to leave Shirogane home alone when he left. You see, this time of year, every single year, Yukisada would fly off and go far away from Iceberg Isle. It was not that he was migrating, the climate on Iceberg Isle was cold enough, and he was not yet ready for mating (the idea alone made him blush furiously)- it was that he was running low on supplies.

Unlike the other inhabitants of Iceberg Isle, Yukisada could not only eat fish. That’s not to say it was impossible for him to, it was, but he prefered sweets. Sweets were not the easiest commodity to find on an arctic isle. Thus, once a year when his supplies of sweets ran out, Yukisada would fly off to the closest country and purchase enough to last the year. Shirogane also had a penchant to eat things other than fish, though it was also possible for him to eat them, so Yukisada often bought food for the other as well. As for where he got the money, well, Yukisada was a traveler. He did work when he could find some, and he was an expert on saving.

That was why Yukisada now found himself in a predicament. It was an indisputable fact that he needed to buy more food for his home, but at the same time he could not leave Shirogane alone right now. Just last night his best friend had gotten into another one of his funks, crying about how useless he was. Of course, Yukisada had tried everything to assure his friend otherwise, and it had taken hours of coaxing to get the wolf to calm down a bit and head up for bed. Usually, Yukisada would leave a note for Shirogane and go off, but he felt it would be unwise to leave his friend to wallow alone without anyone to help cheer him up.

Was there perhaps some way he could bring Shirogane along? Yukisada certainly could not carry the boy, even though he was one of the larger owl species, he wasn’t quite large enough to carry a grown wolf. There was also the issue of finding out if Shirogane wanted to go along. Certainly, getting out might be good for the other. To spend some time away from the white-stained island might do his friend some good. Well, he supposed he would ask when the other woke up.

As if responding to his thoughts, the door to the owl’s bedroom soon opened, a tired looking Shirogane on the other side. Immediately perking up, Yukisada stood from his chair and walked towards his friend, “Good morning, Shirogane.”

“…Huh? Oh…good morning, Yukisada,” the wolf replied sleepily, rubbing one of his eyes. He hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, kept awake by the despair eating away at him. Why was he so weak and useless? Rocma had to save him again and again, and the one time he saved her she had been angry beyond belief. Could he do nothing right? He knew he worried Yukisada with his crying, and that only made to make him feel worse. His friend already did more than enough for him, he was such a burden to those around him…

“…Hey, Shirogane?” the other asked after a moment of silence, trying to figure out the best way to ask his friend.

“What…?” Shirogane questioned, wondering why his friend had paused for so long. That was unusual. Yukisada looked a bit nervous even…he wasn’t going to kick him out, was he? The thought made the wolf nervous. No, no, Yukisada would never do anything like that…would he?

“I was wondering if you wanted to come out with me to get supplies, we’re running out again,” the owl suggested, flashing the other a small smile.

The words, paired with Yukisada’s friendly smile, were enough to calm the wolf down. Go shopping with him? Yukisada always went alone, though. Besides that, Shirogane couldn’t fly, how would he go across the ocean?

As if reading his thoughts, the other quickly continued, “You can ride in the old boat and I can lead the way, it shouldn’t take more than a day to reach there.”

“…Alright,” the weak-willed boy conceded, nodding his head in agreement. Truthfully, he had always wanted to go with Yukisada and see what was out there beyond the Isle. Out of all of them, Yukisada and Idate (along with his extended family) were the two who could most easily leave and go travel. Idate himself had recently returned from a “stroll”, much to the annoyance of everyone.

“Great! Once you get dressed we can go out,” the friendly boy replied, moving to go pack a few things they might need. One never knows what one might encounter while traveling, which was why Yukisada always brought his suitcase with him.

That was how Shirogane now found himself sitting inside a rickety wooden boat, glancing down nervously at the water around him. How could he have forgotten something like that? He was not too good with water, and the idea of traveling on it made him queasy. Despite that, Yukisada’s overjoyed expression at having someone come with him won over his fear. He had saved Rocma in the water, right? He could handle paddling a boat to shore. Yup, nice and easy. As long as they didn’t run into-

“Well, well, what do we have here,” a cool voice called out from his right-side.

Shirogane froze at the voice, recognizing it immediately. Idate. Of course, out of all the people to run into, it had to be the orca. He had only been paddling for half an hour and already they had reached a bump. Not to mention, where was Yukisada? The other had been flying in his line of sight, having transformed into his owl self, but now he was gone. Idate hadn’t…eaten him, had he? No, wait, killer whales didn’t eat owls.

“W-What do y-you want?” the wolf asked, glancing at the emerging black dorsal fin.

“Just curious as to where you are going, it’s not often I see you leaving to go anywhere, Shirogane,” Idate smirked, transforming into his human form as he climbed onto the boat.

Shirogane clung onto the sides of the boat, gripping them tightly as it shook with the other’s weight. No, no, if it tipped he would…!

“…Idate? What are you doing here?” a new voice suddenly asked, shocking Shirogane even more. Happily enough, this voice was familiar and helped to reassure the wolf.

“Oh, there you are, Yukisada,” the man spoke easily, smoking his ever-present cigarette as he gestured towards the bird perched upon the frontend of the boat. Where did Idate even keep those cigarettes while in his animal form anyways?  
“Hello,” Yukisada smiled, not at all threatened by the other. How could he be so calm around that killer whale? Shirogane just didn’t get it, “Shirogane and I were just going to get some supplies like usual. Did you need something?”

“Oh? The scaredy-cat wolf decided to leave the Isle for once?” the orca grinned, showing off his sharp teeth, “Now, that’s certainly a surprise. I was hoping I would be able to ‘play’ with him while you were gone.”

“No, he’s coming with me this time,” the owl responded, knowing exactly what the other meant. While he did not approve of Idate’s bullying of the others, Yukisada at least did his best to remain friendly towards the other.

“Hm, I see. Well, I’ll take the usual, then,” the man responded, waving to the bird as he hopped off of the boat and transformed once more.

“…” Shirogane sat there, stock-still with fear.

“Shirogane? Are you ready to move on?” Yukisada questioned, a hint of worry buried in his tone.

Shaking himself from his fear, the wolf gave a nod, “Y-Yeah…let’s go.”

And for the next few hours, the two boys continued on their way. Yukisada flew ahead, leading Shirogane down the familiar route while the other boy paddled along. It was peaceful, and before he knew it the wolf found himself relaxing. His best friend had been right, going out was a good thing for him.

Soon enough, land entered their line of sight. Yukisada arrived first, transforming back into his human form and putting on a pair of sunglasses he had picked (his eyes could be fairly sensitive at times, not to mention they were distinctly not human). Shirogane soon followed, paddling the boat onto the shore and tying the boat up to a nearby tree. Turning to look at his friend, the wolf was startled when he felt a hat come upon his ears. Glancing up, he blinked at the offending item upon his head.

“To hide your ears,” Yukisada explained, a small smile painting his features. Shirogane’s tail was already hidden under his clothing, a hat would suffice to hide his animal identity.

Responding with a nod of understanding, the wolf followed his friend up and away from the shore towards a small town. They walked through a quiet forest for a while, eventually making it to civilization. Shirogane paused at the sight. Humans milled about everywhere, walking this way and that, not taking any notice of the two. It was quite a shock. The boy’s parents had always told him to try and avoid humans but that they weren’t that scary, that they hunted down owls and other animals for sport and game but not wolves. Despite that, the boy had always been afraid of them. Not only was he afraid for himself, but also for Yukisada- he had once heard a story about humans killing snowy owls for their eyes and feet. Now, here he stood, in the center of a human town without a single one attacking him.

Normally, the wolf would be nervous, but there was something almost calming about the town. It helped that snow was falling in a heavy downpour, a familiar sort of weather. The homes of humans looked similar to those on the Isle, and the boy couldn’t help but stare as Yukisada led him towards the grocery store. Not that he knew it was the grocery store. All of the signs here were written with some foreign hieroglyphics Shirogane could not understand, and every word his ears picked up were unfamiliar to him.

Luckily for him, Yukisada was fairly knowledgeable with it came to languages. He wasn’t sure how many exactly, but the wolf knew his friend was fluent in at least a few other languages thanks to his traveling. Remaining silent and wary, Shirogane allowed his friend to pull him into and around the store. The wolf’s eyes widened in surprise. Never before had he seen such an elaborate array of food, nor so much of it!

As he gaped in shock, Yukisada pulled out the list from his pocket and walked down the aisle, throwing this and that into his shopping cart. Both boys were so caught up in their work, that neither noticed the other was gone before it was too late.

Shaking himself from his awe, Shirogane turned to speak to his companion, “Yukisada, I-” only to stop upon noticing his friend was gone. Where had Yukisada gone? Had he just walked off? Had a human taken him? Were they discovered as animals? Worried stiff, the wolf stood completely still and silent in the aisle, unsure of what to do. He didn’t even know the language they spoke there, what was he supposed to do?

“Thank you for shopping with us,” the cashier nodded, blushing a bit as the cute white-haired boy smiled at her.

“Thank you very much,” the owl responded, pushing his bags forward in the cart. Northern Canda was such a nice place, whenever he came here the people were always so friendly towards him for some reason. Turning to his left, the boy spoke, “Alright, Shirogane, we can go now-” he stopped when he realized there was no one there. Where had Shirogane gone? Yukisada began to sweat, panic taking him over as he glanced around. Oh no, this was not good at all.

Shirogane had been standing there for a good hour when it happened. Without warning, the power went out. This only served to make the wolf more paranoid. While he did have some semblance of night-vision, it did little to make him feel better. So, the boy stood there silently even still, praying that Yukisada would find him soon.

Yukisada, for his part, had spent the last hour searching for his friend. Where on earth was he? Carting the shopping cart filled with bags (he had explained to the cashier his friend was missing and she had happily allowed him to search for his companion), the boy had gone up and down almost every aisle. It didn’t help that the grocery store was rather large. When the lights went out, Yukisada paused for a moment. He supposed the raging snowstorm had caused the power to go out, and quickly shrugged it off. Pulling off his sunglasses, the owl glanced around, his yellow eyes glowing in the darkness.

He had to continue his search.

After another half hour of going up and down different aisles in the dark, the boy found his wolf friend cowering beneath the corn soup. Letting out a sigh of relief, Yukisada reached out and pat his friend on the shoulder. Shirogane responded immediately, whipping around and staring wide-eyed at the stranger. Once his gaze met those glowing eyes, the wolf let out a sigh of relief and dropped to his knees.

“Let’s go, Shirogane. I think some people saw my eyes while I was searching for you, and I don’t want them to get suspicious,” the boy explained, pulling his friend up.

“A-Alright, let’s go,” the other nodded, happy to leave this strange place. Reaching his hand out, the wolf curled his fingers around Yukisada’s. He was not going to get lost again.

Smiling at his friend’s reaction, the owl led the shaken boy out, replacing his shades as he quickly made his way through town and back to the boat. The two worked together to place all of the bags in the boat, some making their way into Yukisada’s suitcase. Waiting for his friend to climb into the boat, the owl paused and looked at the grocery cart at his side. He should go return it to the store instead of leaving it out here…

“I’ll be right back, I’m going to go return this,” the boy said, turning around and running off with the cart.

“Ah, Yukisada, wait-!” Shirogane called out, unable to stop his housemate from leaving. Watching as the other’s back got smaller and smaller, the wolf worried once more. What if the humans knew? What if they tried to kill him and sell his eyes? What if-?

“Alright, I’m back. Let’s go,” Yukisada smiled, startling the other boy. How had the other gotten back so quickly? Had he really been worrying for so long? Knowing how he was, it was most likely true.

With that, the two sailed back home, Yukisada stopping off to drop a pack of cigarettes in Idate’s lap before flying off again. Before Shirogane knew it, they were back in their house. After docking the boat, the two had grabbed as many bags as they could, Idate coming to help surprisingly (“Hm, you could say I’m returning the favor…or just waiting for a chance to get you.”), and packed everything away. Beyond exhausted from their endeavor, the wolf immediately laid down in bed. If that was what Yukisada went through each time he went to get groceries, Shirogane had no idea how he did it.

Yukisada watched his friend close his eyes, smiling with joy that his plan has worked. Sure, Shirogane had gotten frightened a number of times along the way, but his best friend had snapped out of his mood, and nothing could make Yukisada happier (minus strawberry shortcake, maybe). Deciding he was tired as well, the owl slid into the bed next to his friend and wrapped his arms around the other.

Shirogane paused at the sudden shift of weight upon the bed, cracking open one eye to identify who was invading his bed. Letting out a quiet sigh of relief at the sight of Yukisada, the groggy boy snuggled in closer to his best friend. The owl was a warm person, both in personality and in body-warmth, and his soft hair only made him even more of a desirable person to cuddle. Before he even knew it, the wolf’s breathing evened out and he found himself falling asleep after a their long adventure.

Yukisada couldn’t stop a soft smile from escaping him as he held his friend close, enjoying the warm cocoon they made. Pulling the blanket over the other, the owl wrapped his arms around his best friend and allowed sleep to take him away. No matter how much he traveled, there was only one place that held a special place in his heart.

It was good to be home.


	2. The Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hunter has found Iceberg Isle, and he’s not leaving until he has two dead creatures to sell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did just do that.

He had heard of the Isle before. It was a legend passed down among the inhabitants of Greenland. If you headed north, straight north without stop, you would come upon it. Iceberg Isle. It was said to be an island of arctic animals with the ability to take human form. Many nowadays scoffed at the tale, claiming it to be merely an old legend, a fictional myth just like any other country had. Jokum was never a superstitious man. He had lived out his quiet life alone, making a living through fishing. Of course, that alone was never enough. He had recently met a girl and had fallen in love, buying this and that to woo her. Before the man knew it, he was deep in debt.

That was precisely why Jokum found himself out here today. While fishing was his main job, he had side employment with hunters. Illegal hunting was his new activity. He found that he enjoyed it, the thrill of the hunt, the money that came with it. What would he catch today? A seal? An orca? Perhaps even an arctic fox. While Jokum was not one to believe in legends, his boss certainly was. Under no uncertain terms, the man, Ib, had demanded that Jokum go out and find Iceberg Isle. He was to hunt down at least two animals and return home.

It seemed simple enough, and it would have been, if Jokum had actually been able to locate Iceberg Isle. He had been floating in his boat for a few hours now, aimlessly heading northward bound. While he sailed across the frigid waves, the man began to think. If the island really did exist, were the inhabitants truly able to become human? If that were to be true, would he be killing a human? If they were also arctic animals, could they be considered human as well?

Before he knew it, his boat had hit land. Snapped from his thoughts, Jokum looked up in surprise at what greeted him. An island seemingly made of ice lay before him, various peaks and low points decorating its surface. Strangely enough, another boat was tied up near where his now stood. Was this the island, or had he come upon an isolated person’s home? What reason would shape-shifting animals have for tying a boat up here? Shrugging the thoughts off, Jokum tied his boat with the one already there and stepped onto land.

Glancing around himself, the man shivered and pulled his scarf tighter around him. Greenland had always been cold, but the air seemed to be quite a few degrees lower here. Walking towards the east, as the west lay with the ocean, the brown-haired man kept turning his head every which way, examining his surroundings. Pulling his gun closer, he stopped at the sound of someone speaking. Without another word, he followed the voice ahead, staring in shock at what greeted him. Houses. At least six homes stood before him, three of them igloos. On the other side of the snowbank, a snowman adorned with a blue scarf situated himself.

Where on earth was he? Had he stumbled upon one of the lost civilizations of the world? Cautiously stepping forward, Jokum crept between the houses and made his way towards the snowman. It would be bad if the people here thought he was coming to hunt them, best to walk by and keep going. As he approached the snowman, the man was stopped in shock at what he heard. The snowman, it was…talking?

“Bullying Shirogane is tons of fun, you should try it sometime. If you pull on his tail or his ears he lets out a scream and start crying. It’s so funny, ha, ha!”

Yes, he was certain of it now. The snowman was speaking to him. If that wasn’t a clear sign that some sort of magic encompassed the island, the snowman’s words were. A tail and ears? Based on what the legend states, that sounded like a person who could become some sort of mammal. He had found the island after all! When he returned, he would have to put more stock into the old legends. Nodding a thanks towards the snowman, the man turned back around and entered the village once more. These must be the homes of the animals.

Knocking on a number of doors did little, that is, until he came upon a certain igloo. A young girl looking as if she were wearing a penguin hat opened the door. Looking up at him, she spoke, “Huh? Who are you? Do you need something?”

He was almost certain she was a penguin, but Jokum kept his intentions quiet and merely asked, “Yes…would this happen to be Iceberg Isle?”

“Well, yeah, why?” she asked, frowning at him. They didn’t get visitors here, and Peraco was immediately suspicious. As she gazed at the stranger, her eyes soon landed on the gun in his grasp. Eyes widening, she let out a gasp and slammed the door in his face, immediately going to gather up her brothers.

“Now, wasn’t that rude?” Jokum called out, kicking the door open. Sure, the penguins were cute, but he needed the money. Cocking his gun, the man pointed the nozzle towards the rushing girl and took aim.

That was enough time for Peraco. Opening the secret passageway and moving faster than she ever had, the penguin girl threw her groggy siblings down and ran in after them, shutting the door tightly.

Jokum growled in annoyance, his bullet barely missing the girl and hitting the far wall instead. Walking over towards the trapdoor, he pulled up on it, but to no avail. It was locked from the inside. After a few moments of pulling, the man gave up. Better to try the last house, the one across the way, then.

Meanwhile, Peraco shuffled her complaining siblings through the passageway in a hurry. If she didn’t move fast, the others would be in danger. She was specifically worried for Shirogane and Yukisada, as their home was right across from her’s. Shirogane may be a wimp, but when it really counted, hopefully he could make it. Yukisada was also fairly tough, she had heard stories of his travels before, but he was too kind. She could only hope that they were alright by the time she got to Rock.

It seemed as if an eternity had passed before Peraco came upon the set of stairs on the other side of the tunnel. Usually she would not be so frantic, but the situation deemed it necessary. Knocking frantically on the door, she called out, “Rock! Come quick, it’s bad!”

Rock, for his part, had been lying asleep on the couch as he tended to do. The penguin was jolted from his sleep by the loud banging, an angry expression already marring his face. Waddling over to the hatch, the man opened up the door and allowed Peraco and her siblings to come in. After allowing the girl to put her siblings in his futon upstairs, the penguin turned towards her. Scowling, with his arms crossed to show his displeasure, Rock questioned, “What do you want, Peraco? I was trying to sleep.”

“Rock, it’s bad. If we don’t hurry, Shirogane and Yukisada might be-!” the girl spoke quickly, tugging on his flipper.

Sighing to himself, the man took out his cigarette and spoke once more, “What exactly is ‘bad’?”

“Someone has come to the Isle. A human hunter. He shot at me, but I escaped through the tunnel. I think he’s going to get to Yukisada and Shirogane next,” she explained, trying to calm herself down. It was important to remain calm in every situation.

“…It is bad. Let’s go,” Rock nodded, transforming into his human form. It was rare for the other to do so, and he only did on occasions that called for it. Apparently, this was one of those occasions. Grabbing one of his guns, the agitated man gestured for Peraco to follow. Without another word, the girl did. With a nod from Peraco, the two penguins raced out of the home and towards the Orca Danger Zone. They would need all the help they could get, and Idate loved fighting in the first place.

Squid watched them go, wishing he could somehow help out his saviors. It seemed that no matter where he went, something seemed to go wrong. It was in times like these that he missed the good old days, before the Sea King had decided to cast away Princess Mikotsu and the rest of them into the Red Sea. That was a tale from the past, though, and this was his new family. He decided that the best thing he could do for his savior was to watch after the children. Maybe, if he was lucky, they would wake up and feed him some fish!

Jokum, while annoyed by his previous failure, was determined to get at least something out of this hunt. Going across the way to the last house, he stopped before a sign.

“Yukisada and Shirogane’s House.”

Shirogane was the name that the snowman had said. There was little doubt that the two inhabitants of this home were animals as well. Judging by the bright lights shining inside, they were home. The man let a grin make it’s way across his face. If he could nab both of them, he would have finished his job and could leave. Not bothering to knock, he already knew what their reaction would be, Jokum kicked the door in and entered into the room.

It was a fairly sparse room, with a desk and bookshelf to his left, and a bed and scale across from him. Various posters, totaling in four, decorated the walls. He could make neither heads nor tails of them, nor did he really care to. From the door across the way, the soft murmur of conversation could be overheard. He had found his prey.

Without another word, Jokum stepped forward, throwing the door open with a grin. Holding his gun out, the man surveyed the scene before him. Two seemingly male creatures sat at a table in what looked like a kitchen, both staring in shock at him. The two certainly were of differing species, one with two ears atop his head and the other with large yellow eyes. Aside from those appendages, they appeared seemingly normal.

The one with the ears must have been Shirogane, based on what the snowman had said. The other’s ears were not visible, nor did he appear to be a type of mammal. Judging by the size and coloring of the now cowering man’s ears, he was something akin to an arctic wolf. Strange, he had heard that arctic wolves were fairly fond of humans. No matter, he would hunt them anyway. While arctic wolves were not necessarily in high demand, his boss had merely told him to come back with anything. Surely a half-human, half-arctic wolf would fetch a pretty penny.

Not even bothering to gaze at the other one, he would focus on the taller boy afterwards, the man aimed his gun and fired off a shot directly at the frozen wolf.

Right on the mark.

Yukisada had been attempting to cheer up Shirogane for what must have been the thousandth time. His best friend sat, crying his eyes out before a mug of hot chocolate, courtesy of Yukisada. As was usual, the snowy owl did his very best to try and bring a smile to his friend’s face, encouraging him and offering him sweets. Just as usual, Shirogane merely cried and rambled about how useless he was, not even bothering to touch the hot cocoa Yukisada had poured for him.

It would take a few hours, but the taller boy knew the wolf would eventually snap out of it. Every now and then his friend would get upset with himself and degrade himself, usually after meeting up with Rocma, so the owl was always prepared for a cheer up session. Cheering up his friends was something Yukisada took great joy in, it meant the world to see a smile on someone’s face after they had just been so upset.

Everything had been going as usual, that is, until the door was kicked open. A strange blue-eyed man had barged in, a gun in his grasp. Both boys had turned at the loud bang, staring in shock at the hunter. What on earth was a human doing here? Yukisada had certainly seen humans before on his travels, but never on Iceberg Isle. How had the man even found their hidden away homeland?

The man seemed to be making a decision, standing for a few moments before pointing his gun at Shirogane. As was expected, the wolf immediately froze up, unable to move even the slightest in the face of danger. Yukisada, on the other hand, shook himself from his stupor. He could not let his best friend get killed and do nothing to stop it. As the man shot, Yukisada had made his decision. There was not nearly enough time to tackle the stranger, and pushing Shirogane out of the way might not work in time. Jumping up from his seat, the snowy owl ran forward, standing in front of his friend as a guard. He was not afraid to get hurt for his best friend.

Shirogane switched his gaze from the muzzle of the gun to his closest comrade, unable to do anything as the bullet slammed into Yukisada’s chest, knocking the boy back. Staring in shock at his downed friend, Shirogane was unable to move his gaze away from the growing blood stain upon the owl’s chest. No, no, there was no way this was happening. Yukisada had not just protected him while he stood by uselessly. Yukisada had not just taken a bullet for him, bleeding out upon the floor of their shared home- the home the owl was kind enough to share with him.

“Oh well, I was aiming for the wolf, but I suppose the,” Jokum paused, scrutinizing the downed creature, “…snowy owl? Heh, that’s even better than an arctic wolf. You can sell a snowy owl’s eyes and feet for a lot of money in Asia.”

“S-Shiro…” Yukisada gasped out, holding a hand to his chest. It hurt, more than he had imagined it would, but the boy could deal with it. As long as he could get his most important person out of here safely.

“Y-Yu-!” Shirogane stuttered, choking back tears as he stared down at the other. No, it was all his fault. Yukisada was going to be killed, his eyes and feet sold for money on the black market, and he had done nothing to stop it.

“…Go…get Roc…ma…she’ll know…what to do…” the owl quietly spoke, coughing up a bit of blood part way through.

The wolf nodded, clenching his fists as tears continued to cascade down his face. The faster he was, the faster they could save Yukisada. The fact that the other had begun coughing up blood did little to assure the boy. It spurred him on. Without another word, Shirogane turned and transformed into a wolf, breaking through the right-hand window behind him. He would pay Yukisada back for it later, now he had more important things to deal with. For the first time in a long while, Shirogane was determined.

“Oh, he got away,” the man tsked, gritting his teeth in annoyance. Damn, there went his two birds with one stone. Oh well, he would just have to take one very pricey bird. With a grin, he approached the gasping boy, pointing his gun down at the owl. The look in the other’s large eyes unnerved him, a sense of determination and acceptance lay within them, but he remained strong. Letting out a laugh, he spoke, “You think sending your little friend for help will save you? Sorry to break it to you, little owl, but you’re going to die before he can even reach this ‘Rocma’.”

“I-It’s okay…as long…as long as he’s safe…” the boy spoke, eyes staring straight into the man’s.

“Heh, not for long. Sorry to break it to you, kid, but I’ve got a job to do,” Jokum shook his head, getting more and more uncomfortable the more the boy stared at him. Pressing his gun against the boy’s throat, he grinned, “Night-night, Mr. Snowy Owl.”

Shirogane ran. He ran faster than he had ever run before, four legs dashing up the snowy mountain side and stopping in front of the door. He had to move fast, fast or else- the thought alone was enough to make him sick. Shaking his head, the boy transformed back into a human and gave the door a few rapt knocks, hoping the polar bear was at home. If she wasn’t, he would make his way to Idate. Even if the orca were scary, at least he was strong.

Luckily enough, the door did open. Rocma stared at the boy from the other side, an annoyed expression painting her features, “What do you want? This better be important. I was playing with Mafuyu before you interrupted. If Idate attacked you again, I don’t care. I told you to take care of yourselves.”

“Rocma. I-It’s Yukisada. A human knocked down our door and shot him while he was protecting me,” he had to bite his lip at this part to hold back tears, “we need your help. Quickly, before he kills him,” Shirogane commanded, making it clear he was not taking no for an answer.

The girl stared at him blankly for a moment, taking the time to register the words in her mind. Looking down for a moment, she gave the other a nod, “Alright. I’ll come, you boys always need me to save your asses anyways. I have to bring Mafuyu, though, since Yukisada can’t watch her.”

“Alright. Hurry, though,” the wolf gave a nod, counting down the seconds in his head. Each moment he spent away from their home meant another moment that Yukisada was alone with that killer. He had to make it in time, he had to!

Rocma hurriedly picked up Mafuyu, wondering what she was going to do. In truth, she was worried for the bird. While she did consider the boys to be idiots, she certainly did not want them dead, no matter what she said (though Idate could go die in a hole). She could protect Mafuyu and save Yukisada at the same time, surely she could. Grabbing a ball of yarn for the young girl, the polar bear ran out of the house and met up with Shirogane. If it were any other situation she would remark upon how shocked she was by his bravery. Now was not the time. Giving the boy a nod, she followed after him as he sped down and back towards his home.

Please, let them make it in time.

It seemed as if in no time at all they had reached Yukisada’s home. Rocma noted the broken window, deducing that Shirogane had jumped out of it in a hurry. Minus the broken glass, the village seemed as quiet and peaceful as usual. It was hard to imagine that a hunter had just invaded their home and attacked one of their own.

The sound of a gunshot broke the silence in the air.

Eyes widening, Shirogane transformed back into a wolf and, with a howl, raced to the front door, crashing through it. Without another word, Rocma followed, eyes widening at the sight. Shirogane had just crashed right through to something dangerous. The last time she could remember him doing something like that was when he had “saved” her. Placing Mafuyu down to play in front of Yukisada’s sign, the female polar bear transformed and followed after the other. There was no time to waste.

Peraco and Rock raced towards Iceberg Village, having convinced Idate to join them. Surprisingly enough, it had not taken much to convince the other. The orca had actually seemed worried upon hearing the news of a hunter attacking the isle, though for who was beyond them. It didn’t matter, either, they had little time and needed to move fast.

The village soon came into view, and along with it, the angry and anguished howl of an arctic wolf. Peraco’s eyes widened at the sound, knowing the implications of it. Either Yukisada or Shirogane himself had gotten hurt. Badly. It was rare for Shirogane to actually go all out and get angry, which meant the situation had to be bad. Forcing her feet to move even faster than before, the girl lead the group of three to Yukisada and Shirogane’s home.

Noting the sight of Mafuyu in front of the home, Peraco gave a nod to the little seal girl and continued on ahead. If Mafuyu was here, that meant Rocma was too. Whether that was good or bad though, remained to tell. The door was smashed in, bits of wood lying around inside of the owl’s home. Cautiously making her way through, Rock and Idate following with frowns, Peraco stopped in the empty doorframe of the next door.

Rocma, in her polar bear form, sat holding down the human as Shirogane advanced upon the man. Never before had she seen the wolf so angry, and she was one of his good friends. Staring past Shirogane, safely behind his back, lay the answer for his anger. Yukisada lay on the floor, a growing blossom of blood sprouting on his chest. Rushing forward, ignoring as Idate and Rock turned to the hunter as well, the girl stopped in front of the owl boy.

Up close, she now saw the damage was much worse. Yukisada was not only shot in the chest, but his neck also had a deep graze from a bullet. The boy lay there, gasping quietly as he stared blankly up at the ceiling. Peraco had never seen him like this. The other was usually so warm and full of life, offering sweets and friendship to those around him. If he were to die, things just wouldn’t be the same. Tears began to collect in the corner of Peraco’s eyes, and she raised a flipper to wipe them away. The sooner this battle was done, the sooner they could get Yukisada help.

Rock and Idate had decided to join in, the orca holding down one of the man’s other arms while Rock pointed his own rifle at the hunter. Rocma gave them a nod of acknowledgement, secretly glad to have them here. They could use all of the help they could get, and Shirogane seemed to have already lost himself in his anger. When the two had come bursting through the door, the first thing the wolf had seen was a hunter standing over his best friend, a gun pointed towards the other’s forehead.

“Oh, you had the strength to dodge that?” the man asked, noting that his shot had missed the other. Just barely. The graze was still deep, which meant damage had still been done, “Well, not well enough, I see. Don’t worry, I’ll put you out of your misery, little owl.”

With a roar Shirogane had leapt at the man, knocking him over and grabbing the gun in his jaws. Throwing the weapon aside, he advanced upon the man as he scrambled back, growling all the while. For her part, Rocma rushed forward, leaping upon the man and keeping him in place. The hunter struggled, kicking his legs and trying to reach for his gun. It was at that moment that the other three had rushed in, and the polar bear was glad to see Peraco rush to aid Yukisada.

Now the four stood around the human, all looking ready to attack him at any moment. Sure, they all may fight, but if you attacked one of them, you attacked all of them. There would be no mercy. Idate had decided to do the honors, shooing back Shirogane and having him hold the man. With a toothy grin, the killer whale came upon the other, ripping and tearing at the human who had dared to attack his territory.

Shirogane wanted to attack, but he knew that Idate was a better fighter than he was. At his side, Rock put down his gun, finding no need to keep it up while his friend took care of the trash. It didn’t take long for Idate to finish, stepping back with a smirk and lighting a cigarette. The man was battered and bruised, blood spilling from various bite marks on his body. He seemed to be unconscious, and the three decided to drop him. No use holding up someone who was half-dead.

“Hm, human tastes different than I remember it,” Idate commented, giving the knocked-out hunter a wide grin.

“Shut up and move, you fucking baldy,” Rock growled, kicking the orca in the face.

“Why you-!” the other started, biting down hard on his cigarette.

“Both of you, shut up and get out if you’re not going to help,” Rocma commanded, glowering at the two idiots. Kicking Idate as he attempted to flirt with her, the polar bear shooed the two men out and turned to where Yukisada lay.

Peraco and Shirogane, now in his human form, kneeled beside the boy, looking hopeless. How pathetic. Marching over to the pair, the polar bear spoke up, “Hey, you two. Stop moping around already and do something, unless you want the bird to actually die.”

“R-Right,” Shirogane sniffed, wiping tears from his eyes. Standing up, he made his way over to storeroom to get some medical supplies. The owl had been bleeding out for a long time, who knew how much longer he could last?

Watching him go, Rocma couldn’t help but frown. Something smelled off. The sudden sound of a gun being loaded alerted her. Turning around, she stared in shock as the formerly unconscious man ran out the smashed doors. Mafuyu was still out there. Without another word she ran out, transforming once more, leaving Yukisada to his friends. If that bastard even dared to touch Mafuyu, he was dead.

Unfortunately for her, she was too late. The sound of a gunshot reached her ears before she saw it, but she did. Standing in front of Mafuyu, the man looked pleased with himself. Before him lay Rocma’s charge, a bullet hole in her head.

“Hm, I’ll have to collect the owl later, but at least I’ve filled my quota. Seal fat fetches for a hefty price too. Boss will be pleased.”

Rocma saw red. Before the man could even react, the polar bear was upon him. By the time she came back to her senses, the hunter was nothing more than a smear marring the crisp white color of Iceberg Isle. Turning to Mafuyu, she fell to her knees, transforming back into a human. The little seal was dead. There was no doubt about it, even she could not survive a headshot.

Cradling the small child to her chest, Rocma allowed tears to pour down her face. Crying was a sign of weakness, but in this instance, it was acceptable. Clenching her fists, the girl let out a growl and slammed her fist into the snow. She was too weak to even protect her own…what kind of polar bear was she? She had no right to lecture Shirogane and the others. She was pathetic. All talk and no action. It made her sick.

There would be two funerals a week later.

Neither Rocma nor Shirogane would ever recover.


	3. Best Friends (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukisada and Shirogane go for a walk. It’s too bad Idate happened to sneak up on them. Part one of two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off of the picture Mogeko drew, of course.

“Uh, Shirogane, shouldn’t we not be here?” the young owl boy asked, glancing around him. Earlier that day, Shirogane and Yukisada had decided to go for a walk, just as they did everyday. It was a part of their routine- something familiar and almost warm about it. There was something inherently wonderful about normalcy. The two were best friends, they even lived together- it was the type of bond that could not be broken. This factor only served to make the walks even more enjoyable.

Yukisada took walks everyday to lose weight (of which he gained from his excessive consumption of sweets), and the wolf was always happy to go out with his friend. Of course, he also went out with the others at times. Just recently he and Peraco had gone for a walk to visit Rock, though the easily frightened wolf was reluctant, and had enjoyed themselves as well. At the same time, there was something different when it came to his best friend. Perhaps it was that they had known each other for longer than they could remember, or maybe even that they spent most of their time with each other- either way, Yukisada and Shirogane were indisputably close.

Whenever the owl would go out on one of his trips, the other would mope around more. The house seemed more empty and cold without the kind-hearted boy’s presence. Shirogane always made sure the house was in top shape by the time his companion returned- wanting to somehow pay back the one who stuck by him through everything and let him live off of him. Frankly put, without Yukisada in his life, Shirogane would be lost. He was known as a coward, a crybaby, the useless stupid wolf, but it was Yukisada who helped reaffirm his worth. Whenever he was upset, the owl was there, bearing kind words and warm treats to soothe him.

Often times the wolf felt like he was a burden to his friend. The other did so much for him, and Shirogane often did very little in return. It was through the little things that he attempted to show his appreciations- joining Yukisada on his walks, offering to cook dinner when he could, keeping Peraco’s siblings away from his stash of treats- but it never felt like it was enough. Without Yukisada, Shirogane would have nothing. The owl provided warmth, a home, kindness, understanding, and friendship. They were more than friends, more than best friends, it was a sort of companionship that could never be forgotten. Yukisada would do anything for Shirogane, and Shirogane would do his best to do anything for Yukisada.

The two had been walking around Iceberg Isle, going to say hello to Peraco and the others along the way. Suno had attempted to bully Shirogane again, but Yukisada had intervened and asked the snowman not to. Surprisingly enough, he had listened. Why the snowman had was beyond the wolf, usually the other would tease and taunt him despite what the snowy owl would say. It was a strange bump in their normal routine, but nothing life-changing. Shirogane did not like life-changing things.

After that, the pair had made their way around the Isle, moving along aimlessly. Visiting Rocma was out of the question, she would glare at them and slam the door in their faces if they tried to even come close. Sure, she asked Yukisada to watch Mafuyu now and then when she was busy, but in her opinion, he was still a boy and boys were below her. For the wolf, it was nice to have someone who knew his pain. Rock never bothered with Rocma, and Idate was infatuated with her. Yukisada understood, and that was more than enough.

Rock was also a no, as neither were very well acquainted with him (though Yukisada tried), and Squid was someone best avoided when he was hungry. While the owl had suggested they go and feed Squid for Rock, Shirogane had been against it. The giant creature was from a foreign sea, with scars and long tentacles that could grab and break, of course he was afraid. As usual, his best friend understood. Nodding in compliance, he suggested they continue to walk around.

That was how the two now found themselves standing in the Orca Danger Zone. Shirogane had taken the lead, saying he wanted to get back before sunset so they could eat, and led them through the quickest route he knew. Memories of going the same way with Peraco flashed in his mind, but the wolf shook them off. He didn’t see the orca around, and Yukisada knew how to fly away from danger. There should be no trouble, and if there was, Rocma would most likely come down and save them. Despite her words, the polar bear often came to their rescue.

The air was crisp and quiet, the only sounds being the lapping of waves against the icy island and the snow crunching underneath their feet with every step. Pulling on Yukisada’s hand, Shirogane made to pass through quickly, hoping to reach home before dark. While he was confident they would be alright, the boy knew there was always a chance for trouble to arise. Idate had a way of sneaking up on a person.

“It’s alright, we’re just going through quickly,” the wolf had replied, pulling along his best friend. He prayed that this would not end up like last time, that they would not need Rocma to come save them from Idate.

Of course, the universe had the annoying habit of hating Shirogane.

 

Before the boy even realized it, sharp pain blossomed on his back. Falling forwards, the wolf could only stare in horror at the massive icicle impaling him from behind. His back was stained with blood, the red coloring forming a circle around where the ice had hit him. It was a surreal experience. It hurt, immensely so, but the cold numbed him. Where was he again? What had just happened?

Looking up, Shirogane stopped in shock at the sight before him. Idate stood tall, a toothy grin upon his face as he approached the boy. No, no, this couldn’t be happening. He had thought they would be alright, that nothing could go wrong. He had been the one wrong.

Yukisada watched from behind the orca, staring in shock as his best friend lay bleeding out on the ground, helpless and being approached by a predator. What could he do? The snowy owl was not nearly strong enough to take on the orca, and Shirogane was pinned to the ground by the icicle. There had to be something he could do, anything even-!

Idate grinned, glad to finally have gotten the arctic wolf. For too long Rocma had interfered with him (though he didn’t necessarily mind her company), he would finally be able to get the meal he had always wished for. Stepping forward pointedly, he paid no heed to the owl behind him. Yukisada was able to fly away, and birds were much more tricky to capture than foolish wolves. Then again, he had never tasted snowy owl meat before. Perhaps he could try some. The man knew how Yukisada was, just as well as he knew how anyone on the Isle was. If Shirogane were in trouble, the owl would easily throw himself into the line of fire to protect his friend. 

The thought made Idate smile.

 

It was simple enough, and he could even get two meals for the price of one. Attacking Shirogane first would cause the stupidly loyal boy to go to save his friend rather than save himself. That way, he could grab Yukisada before the other had the chance to save himself and then devour Shirogane afterwards. Besides that, Shirogane would certainly show a delicious reaction to it. The thought alone made his mouth water.

Approaching the downed boy, Idate stepped forward and slammed his head down into the snow. A new injury opened on the other’s cranium, blood pouring from the fresh wound. Ah, the sight was truly savory. If only he could make it even more so…

At that moment, Yukisada stepped in. Getting between Shirogane and Idate, the owl spread his arms out wide and blocked the orca’s path. It was a tactic used by owls to defend themselves against predators, and Idate had made it clear he was a predator. Usually, the golden-eyed boy would be willing to give others his trust and friendship. Idate was not the usual. Protecting his closest friend meant more to Yukisada than being civil towards the orca. Shirogane meant the world to Yukisada, and the owl would protect him until his last breath.

Shirogane stared up at his friend, horror in his eyes once he realized what was to come. How could he have been so stupid? Of course Yukisada would try and save him, that was how the other was. Instead of flying away like any other creature would have, the owl had thrown himself into the line of fire to save his useless friend. It was enough to bring tears to Shirogane’s eyes. While the boy was ashamed of himself for always crying and acting weak, even in this situation, there was nothing he could do about it. Yukisada was going to get hurt, and it was all his fault.

“Y-Yukisada-! G-Go…get out of…here…!” the wolf called out, trying in vain to save his friend. Even if he himself had to die, it was better than the owl being harmed in any way. Yukisada was too soft and warm and kind and friendly and trusting and loyal and- he couldn’t die. Shirogane would not allow it.

“…Sorry, Shiro, but I can’t just leave you,” the other replied, turning his head to the side to address his friend.

“N-No…Yuki..you’ve got to-!” Shirogane tried again, hoping that the other would listen and leave him to fall.

“Oh, my, my, what do we have here?” Idate grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. Lighting his cigarette, the orca continued, “A little owl that wants to play hero?” he blew out a length of smoke, “Sounds like fun. Mind if I ‘play’?” he questioned, expression dark.

“I-Idate, you need to stop. L-Leave Shiro alone,” Yukisada spoke up, standing his ground. Even if it led to his untimely death, the boy was determined to save his most important person.

“Hmm…” the orca paused, seeming to think about it for a moment. Without warning, the taller grabbed Yukisada by the neck and easily lifted the bird off of the ground, one of his sandals falling off in the process, “…I don’t think so. But, if it makes you feel better, I’ll play with you first before moving onto the useless wolf.”

“G-Gggh!” the owl protested, raising up his arms to counter the orca’s hold on him, gripping tightly on the other’s hand.

“See? Now isn’t this fun,” Idate smiled, tightening his grip on the other’s neck. Suddenly, the orca slammed the bird’s head into the ground, raising him back up again.

“N..Nn..” Shirogane watched in horror, unable to stand the sight as blood began to drip from Yukisada’s head onto his pale face.

Moving once more, the killer whale slammed his fist into the owl’s soft stomach, causing the boy to spit up a mouthful of blood. Red liquid dripped down onto Idate’s gloves, making them warm and sticky. He found he quite liked the sensation. Yukisada’s fingertips were stained with red as well, their usual pure coloring marred by the bloody mess.

“Stop…!” the wolf cried out, unable to take any more of this. It wasn’t right, someone as kind and friendly as Yukisada did not deserve something like this!

“No,” Idate smiled in a friendly manner, using his sharp fingers to cut a deep diagonal line into the owl’s right leg. The clothing tore from the sharpness of the killer whale’s hands, blood flowing freely from the new opening. Steam began to rise from the wound, the owl’s internal temperature contrasting with the frigid air.

Shirogane clawed at the ground, trying in vain to escape from the icicle and save Yukisada. He could get Rocma, or, or maybe even fight the orca himself. Anything to stop this horrible torture. Blood stained his claws, the growing pool underneath him pointed as the culprit. The wolf could not even feel pain at this point, just a raw and desperate need to get out get out getoutgetoutandsavehisbestfriend!

“Ha, ha, how cute of you to try and escape,” the man continued to smile wide, cutting an x-shape into Yukisada’s right-hand as the boy’s face rapidly turned purple from lack of air. Ah, this was so much fun! He hadn’t had nearly enough fun in quite a long while. While it was entertaining to fight with Rocma now and again, this torture was what he truly enjoyed. The scent of blood, the warm sensation, it was what he craved. Speaking of craving, he was feeling rather peckish at the moment.

Even so, he was going to continue to move slowly. Opening his mouth, the orca savagely bit off one of the fingers on Yukisada’s left hand, spitting it out behind him. He would eat them later, for now, he wanted Shirogane to suffer. The wolf stared at the dismembered appendage in shock, halting in his scrambling to escape. The sight was truly without comparison. Repeating the process, the killer whale ripped off another finger, dropping it just out of Shirogane’s reach.

The trapped boy had dug into the snow hard enough to make a dent into the ground. With each finger added, he became more and more desperate. Watching as Yukisada dangled helplessly before him, being cut into and torn apart by the sadistic man before him and unable to even scream, was too much for the boy. It was horrifying beyond words. It was truly a sight without comparison. A horrible nightmare that he wanted to wake up from. Letting out a cry, tears flowing from his eyes, the wolf begged, “Please, please, stop it! Stop!”

Turning his head to stare at Shirogane, Idate opened his mouth wide, two rows of sharp teeth displayed, and bit into the owl’s left arm. Still keeping his eyes on the other, he turned his head back and forth ripping the limb off a little below the shoulder. Blood gushed from the wound, staining both Yukisada’s clothing and the ground beneath which he was held above. The pure white surface of Iceberg Isle was tainted with the rust-colored liquid. Even still, Yukisada could do nothing but let out gasps.

Somewhere along the way, the boy had bit his tongue, perhaps from the pure unadulterated pain he felt. Blood dripped from his mouth, joining the growing pool below. The normally white snowy owl was being dyed in a brilliant red.

Still keeping his eyes on the now shocked-still wolf, the man grabbed the arm in his free hand and bit into it, enjoying the flavor. Hm, owl wasn’t too bad in the end. It didn’t taste as good as shark, but it was certainly a delicious treat. Deciding to continue his torture, the orca spoke up and addressed the devastated wolf, “Hey, where should I cut him next? I’m going to cut him a thousand times over. You can choose where you wish he’s hurt next.”

“Stop it! Stop it! I’m begging you, please, stop it!” the wolf cried, having gone past what he could handle long ago. The sight of his best friend’s arm being ripped off and bit into was so disgusting and horrifying he could not even begin to describe it. Why? Why had this happened? If only he had not suggested they go this way. If he hadn’t, Yukisada would still be alright. Yukisada wouldn’t be bleeding out as Idate choked him, one arm already gone for good.

The implications of what had just occurred hit Shirogane like a train. Yukisada’s arm was gone. His best friend’s arm was gone. That meant that one of his wings was gone. The other would never be able to fly again. His closest friend had just lost one of the most important things to birds- freedom. Now he would never be able to simply fly away from Idate. Yukisada was forever grounded, and it was all Shirogane’s fault.

“Gue…g-gehushi…” the boy gasped out, body shaking as he continued to lose massive amounts of blood.

Shirogane cried, screaming again and again for Idate to let the other go and- “Take me! Eat me instead! Stop it, just…just stop!” -but to no avail. His own blood loss was beginning to take it’s toll. The wolf fought to keep his eyes open, not wanting to faint and leave Yukisada to suffer alone, but it was to no avail. Before the boy had a chance to even realize it, he had lost consciousness.

The last thing he saw was Idate’s mocking grin, his best friend’s blood dripping from the other’s face and the owl’s arm in the man’s grasp. Yukisada’s eyes were shut tight as he cried, tears falling as he desperately clawed at the orca’s hand with his remaining arm.

The last thing he heard was Yukisada’s gasping, growing more shallow with every moment. Idate’s laughter rang out over his friend’s quiet attempts to speak, but it was the owl’s crying that remained ringing in his ears.

The last thing he smelled was the overpowering smell of blood. Both his own and Yukisada’s covered the area, masking any other scent. The killer whale’s cigarette left the faint smell of smoke mixed in, but the blood was overpowering.

The last thing he tasted were the salty tears running down his face, unable to stop the dam that had burst within him. For once, the situation would have even the most hardened warrior on his knees weeping.

The last thing he touched was the cold snow, claws digging in painfully, even still trying to escape and save his comrade. Blood fell from his claws, wounds opened by his scrabbling against the hard ice.

And the last thing he felt was despair. An utter hopelessness that he and Yukisada were going to die. Regret and guilt that he had caused this, that he had brought this upon his best friend. He was the one to blame. The emotional pain ran over the physical pain he felt, which alone was nothing compared to what Yukisada must be feeling.

And with that, Shirogane’s consciousness was no more.


	4. Best Friends (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2/2

Rocma had been having a fairly decent day so far. Idate hadn’t come to bother her yet- a new record, he made it all the way to noon -and Mafuyu was content to sit and play with her yarn. The polar bear sat besides the girl, watching the little seal roll around her toys. Something was wrong. Something had to be wrong. It was much too quiet today, things were going just a little too right for her tastes. Yesterday the orca had promised her “something fun” would happen, so where was that? What was it? The girl would be lying if she said it didn’t make her a little paranoid. If that bastard dared to touch a single hair on Mafuyu’s head she would-

The polar bear stopped in her thoughts, sniffing the air. Was that…? It was faint, but it was definitely there. The scent of blood. Dammit, had that guy attacked another one of the isle’s inhabitants again? He had probably done it for kicks, most likely going after that useless boy, Shirogane. Letting out a sigh, the girl stood up. Looks like she’d have to save him. Again. Mafuyu turned from her playing, looking up at her surrogate-mother in confusion. Where was she going?

“Mafuyu, you stay here. I have to go save that wimpy wolf again,” Rocma tsked, “I’ll get Peraco or Yukisada to come watch you.”

The seal let out a little chirp of acknowledgement, turning back to her toys. She always liked it whenever the either of those two came over to babysit her. Peraco was a lot of fun and would always say something funny, while Yukisada was always willing to play games with her! Wiggling with excitement, Mafuyu was practically bouncing up and down at the idea of one of them coming to play. This day just got a whole lot more fun!

Rocma walked over to the rack and pulled on her scarf, looking back at Mafuyu one last time. With a nod to the excited girl, she excited the home and stepped out into the snow.

It was a fairly sunny day for Iceberg Isle, she needn’t have even brought her scarf with the temperature that it was. Usually it was down below freezing, but at this time it was probably just right below the freezing point of water. Most of the inhabitants had been living there for the majority of their lives, with a few pointed exceptions, so they had gotten used to the colder weather.

Ignoring the ermine laying on the bench outside of their home, he was harmless anyways, Rocma transformed into her polar bear-self and dashed down the mountain. It would take much longer if she had remained in her humanoid-form, and she didn’t want to get to Shirogane too late. About a half an hour later the polar bear had made it into Iceberg Village, transforming back into her preferred form. Ignoring Suno-san (who was throwing out insults about Shirogane, as was usual), the girl made her way towards Peraco’s house.

The penguin lived in an igloo with her three younger siblings, and her house was a bit closer than Yukisada and Shirogane’s was. Rocma didn’t even bother knocking, pulling open the unlocked door without worry of interrupting the siblings.

Peraco sat watching television at the table, her three younger siblings seemingly absent from the scene. The penguin looked back at the sound of the door opening, relaxing instantly upon seeing that it was the polar bear that had come to meet her. Waving to the other, the girl asked, “Hey, Rocma! What brings you here?”

Not wanting to waste any more time, the other girl didn’t bother sitting down to talk. Remaining in the doorway, she spoke, “I need you to watch Mafuyu. That bastard orca attacked that stupid wolf again, and I have to go save him before he gets himself killed.” Of course, she didn’t know for sure that was what was happening. It was the most logical conclusion she could come to, though.

“Oh, sure thing! It’s a good thing my siblings are at Rock’s right now,” Peraco complied easily. She liked watching Mafuyu now and again, the little girl was beyond adorable. It was a lucky thing her siblings had asked to go visit Rock for the day, leaving her afternoon open. While she was a bit worried for Shirogane, the penguin knew that with Rocma going to save him everything would be alright.

“I’ll take you up and then go and confront Idate,” the polar bear was already getting annoyed at just having to say the other’s name.

Rocma quickly transformed once again, waiting for Peraco to climb on. Once she was sure that the smaller girl was secure, the bear took off, dashing up the side of the mountain once more. It would be another thirty minutes before they would reach the top of the mountain, the girl stopping off by her door to let the penguin off of her.

“Make sure to give Idate a good beating,” the orange-eyed girl had called out, waving from the door as the white-haired girl had immediately turned and ran down the other side of the mountain. Mafuyu had immediately jumped up when Peraco had opened the door, clinging onto the other girl’s clothes like a lifeline. Both watched from the door as the polar bear dashed away, an uneasy feeling beginning to fill the penguin’s chest.

Shirogane had passed out fifteen minutes ago. It was disappointing to the orca, but there wasn’t much he could do about it while holding onto his new toy. Besides that, he did still have a fully conscious Yukisada to play with. It was impressive, really. How the boy had managed to remain awake and reactive despite the massive blood loss and his air being cut off for so long. Birds really were survivors, weren’t they?

With the wolf’s pleads gone silent, the owl had struggled even more in Idate’s grasp. He probably thought his friend needed help and was trying to get to his side. How cute, it made the man want to smile. How stupid would you need to be to care more about others when you yourself were being ripped limb from limb? It was so pitiful it was disgusting. In an effort to break the boy even more, the orca had cut another wound into him, creating an x-shaped scar right under where his missing arm should have been.

“…Hey,” Idate started speaking again, a brilliant idea coming into his mind. This time he spoke not to the blissfully unconscious Shirogane, but to the struggling and surely pained owl in his grasp.

The boy struggled to open one of his eyes, looking at his attacker in confusion.

“Why don’t I do something nice for you?” he asked, pulling out his cigarette and letting out a breath. Idate smiled.

Yukisada seemed a little puzzled by the other’s words, wondering what on earth the other could possibly do that was nice. Maybe he would like Shirogane go? That would definitely be nice. Or, maybe he would let both of them go? The musings caused a flame of hope to relight within the owl, previously having been blown away by his friend falling unconscious. He had hoped that Rocma would come to save them, but given how long it had been…the owl had become afraid she would be too late.

“Yep,” the orca put his cancer stick back into his mouth, breathing in the smoke, “…I’ll give you a nice scar on your left eye just like your friend.”

The owl instantly paled even further, if that was possible, and began to claw at the hand holding him up even more. He knew that Shirogane had gotten a scar on his left eye- he had been the one to treat it, after all -and he also knew how self-conscious the wolf was of it. If Yukisada were to also get an injury there, the boy would only feel infinitely worse, especially given the fact that he was unconscious for this part and had “abandoned his friend” (not that Yukisada had ever considered it anything of the sort). Besides that, it would hurt a lot. He had big eyes for a reason, sight was an important part of a snowy owl’s life.

Oh, but Idate wasn’t just going to injure the eye. No, no, he was going to do so much more than that! Ignoring the boy’s intensified struggling, the orca reached out with his other hand and dug his claw-like hands into the left side of the other’s face. This only served to make Yukisada struggle even more, but the killer whale just found it amusing. In one quick movement he slashed through the smaller boy’s face, leaving a long scar going diagonally down from the middle of his forehead to just below his eye.

If he could, Yukisada would have screamed. His range of vision was suddenly cut in half, his left eye becoming useless. Blood dripped down from the window, painting his face in even more bright red coloring. It hurt, not as bad as having his arm ripped off, but close. The owl had never been in so much pain in his life. The various cuts, ranging from deep to light, paired with his still bleeding stump, and the recent destruction of his eye was too much. He wished he could faint now, anything to just escape the horrifying pain.

Idate wasn’t quite done yet, though. The orca raised his arm once more, moving straight for the injured eye. He had once heard, while out on one of his strolls, that snowy owl eyes were rare and beautiful, as expensive as many gems on the market were. It would be nice to have one for himself, and maybe he could give it to Nagi as a present.

At that moment, Rocma slammed into the other with the ferocity of a mother bear.

As the polar bear got closer, the smell of blood only grew in its intensity. Judging but how strong the scent was, it seemed like Shirogane had lost quite a bit of blood by this point. Dammit. She should have moved faster. Hopefully the idiot boy was still alive- she would have to take care of his injuries in compensation for moving too slowly.

The sight she was greeted with was anything but what she had been expecting. While Shirogane was there- lying with an icicle piercing through his midsection, though thankfully unconscious -Yukisada was the one Idate held up above him. Rocma had not been expecting the owl to be the one in trouble. While he could be just as stupid and naive as the wolf he called his best friend, she had always thought of the bird as the more smart of the two. It was shocking that Idate would attack the owl, of all people, rather than Shirogane.

Or, perhaps, it did make sense. Yukisada was important to the wolf after all, and judging by the claw marks in the ground right in front of the wolf’s hands…it wasn’t difficult to put the pieces together. Adding Yukisada’s dismembered arm grasped in the killer whale’s hands and the blood pouring from the boy’s numerous wounds and you had a disgusted and enraged Rocma. Sure, she thought of the boys as idiots, but that didn’t mean she wanted them to be hurt or murdered by the fucking orca.

Watching as the other raised his arm towards the struggling boys face, pointed-fingers poised to take out his left eye, the polar bear struck. She was not going to allow this to go on anymore.

The orca fell over, his grasp on the owl loosening up to the point where he dropped the still-gasping boy. Looking up at who was on top of him, Idate grinned up at the growling Rocma with repressed annoyance. While he usually would always adore whenever the other willing came to play with him, the killer whale had been having fun with the other boy. It was just about the best part and she had to interfere!

For his part, Yukisada slowly crawled over to Shirogane with his single arm, still worried for his best friend. While his consciousness was going in and out- a mixture of blood loss and shock finally beginning to affect him -the owl had to know if the other was still alive. Pulling up a shaky and bloody hand, the heavily injured boy felt his best friend’s arm for a pulse, praying it would be there.

Although faint, Shirogane was still alive. The owl let out a shaky sigh of relief, slumping over immediately. He was so tired….Now that he knew that the wolf was alright, it would be fine to go to sleep, wouldn’t it? Yukisada could vaguely recall something about how it was bad to do so when one was bleeding heavily, but he couldn’t quite grasp at the words. The owl had been forcing himself to remain conscious for so long, surely a little bit of rest wouldn’t hurt him too much.

The last thing he heard before he fell into the darkness’s warm embrace was Rocma’s reverberating growl, as if it were shaking the world itself.

“S…Shi…” the owl gasped out, staring straight into his best friend’s eyes. Fear and sadness lay hidden within his golden gaze, tear slipping down his pale face.

“Y-Yukisada-!” Shirogane cried out, reaching for the other. He had to get out of here, had to escape from this icicle trapping him. If he didn’t move quickly, if he didn’t go fast enough, Idate would-

“Oops,” the orca’s voice cut through, the sound of liquid splashing onto the ice accompanying his manic grin. The wolf looked up from his scrambling, staring wide-eyed at the state his friend was in.

Idate’s arm was coated in blood, his hand having dropped the owl to the ground. Next to the downed body sat a wide-haired head, the fluffy and soft locks of hair matted with rust-colored blood. Idate had just killed Yukisada.

He had killed Yukisada. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed Killed. Killed. Killed. Killed. KiLlEd..kIlLeD…

Shirogane let out a scream, one filled with pure pain, terror, anger, sadness- he was going to kill Idate. He was going to get revenge. How dare he…HoW dArE hE kIlL yUkIsAdA….

Tears spilled from the boy’s face, his hands desperately reaching out towards the corpse of his best friend. This had to be fake, right? A dream? He would wake up soon, safe and uninjured in his bed. He would be scared at first, running downstairs to check on Yukisada, to make sure he was alright. The other boy would be sleeping in his bed, safe and sound, a small smile on his face. The wolf would be relieved, so relieved it was a dream and sigh in relief. He had been worried for nothing.

Yukisada wasn’t dead, this was all just a bad dream…right?

Shirogane’s eyes snapped open, tears still slipping down his face as he woke up. What…? Where on earth was he? One moment he had been…been…staring at his best friend (not a corpse, never a corpse), and the next he was waking up in his own room. The boy blinked up at the ceiling, thoughts muddled. Had…had he been right? Had it been just a dream? His friend, so warm and full of life, laying before him cold and dead- had that been…a dream?

The idea brought a sigh of relief to the boy. Of course it had, there was no way that had happened. It was proof enough that he was here in his home. …Still, he wanted to check on Yukisada, just to quell his nerves. As he moved to swing his feet over the side of the bed, the wolf paused, a shooting pain going through his mid-section.

Eyes widening, Shirogane threw the covers aside and pulled up his shirt, staring in horror at the sight that greeted him. Bandages spanned across his middle, covering his skin in white gauze. This…this meant that it hadn’t been a dream. Idate had really attacked him and Yukisada…

Did…did that mean that Yukisada was..? The wolf needed to know- know if his dream was reality, if his best friend was good and truly dead or not. He prayed he wasn’t. He prayed that he had been injured in some other way, that Idate hadn’t truly murdered his most important person in cold blood-

Shirogane scrambled out of bed, ignoring the shooting pain from his wound. He had to know, to know if the other was alive or…

Just as he reached the door, it was slammed open. Rocma stared at the boy, eyes furrowed in a mixture of annoyance and confusion. The polar bear glowered at the boy, face lifting into a sneer. Gently pushing him back, the girl growled out, “What do you think you’re doing? I didn’t save your ass only to have you reopen your wound right away like an idiot.”

“R-Rocma,” the wolf stared at the other, desperately wishing to run past here. So she had saved him…again. That was nice of her…

“I…is…is Yuki-” he stopped himself, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

Rocma stared at him for a moment, finally understanding what exactly his problem was. Oh, so that was it. It made sense that he was worried, and the polar bear couldn’t fault him for being afraid for the owl. This time. Letting out an annoyed sigh, the girl replied, “He’s fine. Mafuyu and Peraco and watching him downstairs, but he hasn’t woken up yet.”

“…Thank God…T-Thank God,” the wolf fell to his knees, tears of pure relief sliding down his face. Yukisada was alive…he was alive!

“Now, would you mind telling me exactly why on earth you two dumbasses were walking through the Orca Danger Zone after I specifically told you not to?” the girl asked after a moment, choosing not to comment about the other’s tears. She would at least give him that much.

“…I-It was my fault…I…I stupidly took us through there as a shortcut,” the wolf sniffed, head bowed in shame, “Y-Yukisada said we should leave, but…but I…”

“…Alright, I get it. You made a stupid mistake. I guess I’ll have to watch you idiots more closely,” the polar bear shook her head, choosing not to punish the other. He had already been punished enough.

“C-Can, I go see him…?” Shirogane asked, looking up. Yukisada probably wouldn’t want to see him. He was the reason the owl had gotten hurt. If only he had listened, if only he hadn’t been such a fool. His best friend had almost died, and it was because of him. As long as the other was asleep, even if it was selfish of him, the wolf wanted to see his most cherished companion.

“…Fine. But come right back up,” Rocma conceded. She had already kicked Idate’s ass to kingdom come, as long as there were no complications and the two could heal, they would be fine.

Shirogane gave a grateful nod at her response, zooming out of the room as quickly as possible. He wanted to see Yukisada right away, to make sure the other was alright and not too badly hurt. Taking the stairs carefully- he didn’t want to trip and hurt himself even worse -the wolf rushed through the kitchen and into the owl’s room. Peraco and Mafuyu sat in chairs besides the bed, playing some sort of game with the string the seal girl loved so much.

The wolf opened the door quietly, not wanting to disturb the others, and stepped inside of the room. Sending a nervous expression towards Peraco, who replied with an encouraging smile, Shirogane loitered around the room. He…he wanted to see Yukisada, yes, but he was afraid of what he would see. The last time he had seen his friend was in his dream, and he had been brutally murdered there. It was frightening, not knowing what to expect. So, Shirogane being Shirogane, he expected the worse.

“Hey, Shirogane, are you going to just stand there or are you going to go see him?” Peraco cut in, her flippers on her hips as she gave the other a stern look.

“B-But, what if-” the boy started, trying to put his thoughts into words.

“No. Listen up! You’re worried about him, right? So go and see him! He’d be really upset if he found out you never came to check on him,” the girl chastised.

“…R-Right,” the wolf replied, head bowed in uncertainty. With another push from Peraco, Shirogane found himself beside his injured housemate’s bed. Glancing up nervously, the wolf stared at the sight that greeted him, clearly upset by it.

There was a bandage covering the left-side of the owl’s pale face, a deep purple, almost black, hand impression going around his neck, and, worst of all, the distinct lack of a left-arm underneath the blankets covering him. The boy was certain even more injuries lay underneath the covers pulled over the other, and the thought made him blanch. He had caused his best friend to lose his eye, not to mention his left hand.

Shirogane himself had an injury over his own left-eye, so he was well aware of how those kinds of injuries could be. Yukisada was going to have a lot of trouble adjusting to his new lack of a limb and the loss of his eye. Dammit, dammit, dammit. He was so useless. What kind of friend sat back and did nothing while his best friend was tortured by a bloodthirsty orca right in front of him? Yukisada hadn’t sat back. The owl had rushed forward to protect his friend. …He really didn’t deserve to have a friend as kind as the other.

A small hit to his arm stopped the male in his thoughts. Turning around, Shirogane stared at Peraco, tears in his eyes. The girl had her hands on her hips again, an annoyed expression on her face. Giving the other a look, she said, “Now you stop that already. I know exactly what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong. Yukisada loves you a lot, he doesn’t think you’re useless- and I know you know this because he tells you it all of the time. Now man up and stop putting yourself down. You’re both alive, you can both heal,” she paused, her lips turning into a smile, “and isn’t that what really matters here?”

Shirogane gave a nod, the other’s words hitting him like a brick wall. That was right…Yukisada wouldn’t think those things of him. The owl was far too kind to ever even dream of putting his best friend down. He really had underestimated Yukisada.

Peraco was right about the other issue, as well. Sure, it might be a little tough, but the owl wasn’t the kind of person to give up easily. They were both alive. His dream had been wrong. It was okay…they were alive. At that moment, Shirogane vowed to help his best friend through the struggles that were sure to come. He had been the one to cause this to happen- even if Yukisada said it wasn’t true, it was -and, because of that, he would be the one to fix it.

They were going to get better and move on. Together.


End file.
